ASEA BROWN BOVERI SA

Their core work

ABB Spain is the Madrid-based subsidiary of the global ABB Group, a major industrial technology company specializing in electrification, automation, and digital solutions for industrial environments. Within H2020, their Spanish unit has contributed industrial expertise to projects focused on 5G-enabled manufacturing, IoT for supply chains, and next-generation network applications for factories. They bring real-world industrial deployment environments and use-case validation to research consortia, acting as an end-user and technology integrator rather than a pure research partner.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

ABB Spain's H2020 trajectory shows a clear shift from fundamental research participation to applied industrial digitalization. Their earliest involvement (SOCRATES, 2016) was in social cognitive robotics via a Marie Curie training network — a more research-oriented, exploratory engagement. From 2020 onward, their focus pivoted sharply to 5G-enabled industrial applications, IoT for supply chains, and factory experimentation platforms, reflecting ABB's broader corporate strategy around connected industry.

ABB Spain is doubling down on 5G-enabled industrial digitalization, making them a strong partner for future projects combining connectivity, manufacturing automation, and supply chain intelligence.

How they like to work

ABB Spain has never coordinated an H2020 project, consistently joining as a participant or third party in large consortia. With 56 unique partners across just 3 projects, they operate in very large multi-partner collaborations (averaging ~19 partners per project). This pattern is typical of a large industrial company that provides real-world use cases and validation environments rather than driving the research agenda — a reliable consortium member that brings industrial credibility and deployment sites.

Despite only 3 projects, ABB Spain has built connections with 56 unique partners across 15 countries, reflecting their participation in large pan-European consortia. Their network spans a wide geographic footprint typical of major Innovation Actions and Research and Innovation Actions.

What sets them apart

ABB Spain combines the credibility and industrial infrastructure of a global automation giant with the flexibility of an SME-classified local subsidiary. For consortium builders, they offer something rare: access to real factory environments and industrial supply chain use cases for validating 5G, IoT, and edge computing research. Their dual focus on connectivity infrastructure and manufacturing processes makes them a natural bridge between telecom-oriented projects and industrial end-user needs.

Highlights from their portfolio

• iNGENIOUS
  Combines an unusually wide technology stack — 5G, IoT, edge computing, neuromorphic sensors, mixed reality, haptic gloves, and blockchain — for supply chain innovation.
• 5G-INDUCE
  Largest single EC contribution to ABB Spain (EUR 300,400), focused on open 5G experimentation platforms specifically targeting industrial sector deployment.